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Town Manager interviews underway

Five finalists vying for the town manager position have or will be interviewed by the New Shoreham Town Council with the goal that a new manager will be named by Labor Day.

As part of the search process, the Town Council met with its two search committees on July 31, to discuss the candidates, and receive information and recommendations regarding interview questions, as well as review the candidates’ qualifications. That meeting was held in closed session.

Town Council member Chris Willi, who is serving as ex officio Chair of the two search committees, one comprised of five town employees, and the other consisting of seven members from the community, told The Block Island Times that “the meeting went very well. It afforded the search committees the opportunity to present their recommendations and elaborate on the five candidates,” he said. “The entire Town Council was appreciative of the dedication of both committees to the process, and thankful of their time spent on it.”

“The committees did an excellent job throughout the selection process and recommended five good qualified people for the Town Council to interview,” added Willi. During the meeting with the two search committees “we learned what qualities moved these five candidates forward.”

Willi noted that “the town and the 13 residents that represent our community in the process” are focused on finding the right person for the job. Town officials have said that one of the objectives of the search for a new town manager has been to avoid the mistakes that plagued the last search process.

The two committees began the search process at the end of March, held three stages of interviews with potential candidates, whittled the field down from 53 applicants to 11 potential candidates, and before deciding on six finalists that were given tours of the island and then introduced to the Town Council. One of the candidates dropped out during the process.

Will said the Town Council was just “beginning the interview process with the five remaining candidates.” The one-hour interviews with the finalists were held on July 27 and 31, and Aug. 3, 9, with the final one scheduled for Aug. 17. All of the candidates are based in the New England region.